Conventionally, a finisher that comprises a cutting device that cuts and aligns the edges of booklet prepared by center-stapling and center folding have been realized in the printing industry.
Further, in recent years, sheet finishers have been proposed that accept sheets on which images have been formed by an image forming apparatus such as copiers, printers, etc., carries out center-stapling and center-folding processes on them to bind into a booklet like a weekly magazine, and which comprise a cutting device that thereafter cuts and aligns the edges of the booklet.
The cutting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 (representing Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2000-198613) is one in which the booklet after center-stapling and center-folding has been transported with its folded part at the front, is passed through the first transporting means, the cutting means, and the second transporting means and stops when the folded part comes into contact with a movable stopper, is pressed by the first pressing means at the folded part and by a second pressing means at the edge part, and its edge is cut by the cutting means.
In the conventional apparatus, as has been disclosed in Patent Document 1, the booklet after center-stapling and center-folding is transported by a rotating transporting belt and is inserted into the cutting section of the cutting means with its folded part at the front, after the front end of the booklet comes into contact with the leading edge stopper that has projected into the booklet transportation path and the booklet stops, in the condition of being pressed by the pressing means that can come down or move up, the edge of the booklet on the rear side of the booklet in the direction of its transportation is cut by the cutting means. The booklet whose edge has been cut is transported with its folded side facing the front and is stacked in the booklet storage section.
In other words, in the conventional cutting device, in order to receive a center-folded and thickly bloated booklet, a pressing member is placed at a high position above the booklet, after the leading end of the booklet comes into contact with the stopper and the booklet stops, the transporting belt is made to overrun, and when the folded part of the booklet has got in full contact with the stopper, the booklet is first pressed down by lowering the pressing member, and then the edge cutting operation is made.
Further, in this cutting method, since the amount of movement to be made by moving the leading edge stopper by driving the first driving means to the specific location depending on the sheet size and number of sheets of paper and the amount of movement of the booklet to make the front end part of the booklet push against the leading edge stopper by driving the second transporting means using the second drive means, and the amount of movement of the pressing means that presses the top surface of the booklet are all set individually and since they are all carried out by different driving means, there is the problem that the apparatus becomes complex and also the-control of the timings of these plural driving means becomes difficult.